On Halloweekend, I performed in the shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was my first theater performance in college. I grew up acting and being in theater productions; however, after middle school, I decided being backstage and in stage crew was more for me. For Rocky, I initially signed up to just be in the crew. However, after being in so many rehearsals, I found it to be so entertaining and enjoyable to perform in front of an audience. So, I asked the director if I could have a moment or two on stage. I was told yes. I was to hold up a sign and fan the main character Frank-n-Furter at the very end of the show. No amount of rehearsals could prepare me for how many eyes were going to be on me that night.
At midnight, the show began. I waited on the sidelines in anticipation while silently cheering on every actor that went on. Halfway through, it was time. I walked my way onto the stage holding a sign that said “endorse” and stood in the spotlight for a small moment. I have not been in that position in so many years. It was such an overwhelming yet empowering feeling. The thought of everyone staring at you on stage is terrifying. The thought of everyone seeing what you’ve worked months on is heartwarming. The mix creates such adrenaline. After my little cues here and there… It was time for me to fan Frank-n-Furter aka sitting down on the carpet and holding the fan all the way up to fan her dramatic song. I did not think I could hold my arms up for so long or survive the carpet scratching my knees but nonetheless, I persevered and in return gained a loud cheer from the audience. It was so satisfying to see weeks of hard work from the actors pay off and them getting the recognition they deserve. Overall, it was such a rewarding experience and I would do it again. Moving forward I know to put myself out there more and to go back to what I truly love, acting.